Field of the Invention
The present Invention relates, in general, to snap-fit connectors and, more particularly, to quick connectors employed in fluid conduit systems to facilitate assembly and disassembly of fluid components.
Quick connectors have long been used to facilitate the assembly and disassembly of mechanical devices. This is particularly true in complex automotive systems wherein numerous fluid conduit interconnections are required.
In such connectors, a retainer is typically mounted within a female connector part or fitting in a relatively inaccessible position to lock a male member or conduit inserted into a female connector part or fitting. In order to separate the male conduit from the female connector, it is necessary to expand the deflectable legs on the retainer in a radially outward direction to enable an enlarged, annular abutment surface typically formed on the male conduit to pass by the ends of the legs and be removed from the female connector. Tools are frequently employed to effect the release of quick connect fittings by deflecting the retainer legs as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,084,954; 5,187,851 and 5,226,230.
Certain quick connector designs have a release member slidably mounted on the male fitting component as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,793,637; 5,056,756; 5,161,834; and 5,228,728. Such release members are slidable into the female connector part to engage and radially expand the deflectable legs of the retainer member mounted in the female connector part to enable the enlarged annular flange on the male conduit to be easily removed from the female connector.
However, in certain applications, the quick connector is located in a relatively inaccessible position and is closely surrounded by other components which make the use of a separate tool to separate the male conduit from the female connector component relatively difficult if not impossible due to limited available space. Such limited space factors also make the quick connectors employing a slidable release member on one of the components difficult to disassemble. In the aforementioned quick connector designs employing slidable release members mounted on the male conduit of the quick connector fitting, the release member typically has an enlarged end flange which is grasped by a user to slide the release member into the female component to effect separation of the male conduit from the female component. However, the enlarged head is typically of the same or even a smaller diameter than the tubular end of the female component thereby providing a relatively small user engageable surface. The aforementioned limited space considerations typically encountered in automotive applications makes it difficult for a user to easily grasp the head of the release member.
What is needed is a quick connector having an integral release means mounted thereon which is easy to grasp and operate, even in limited space applications. It would be desirable to provide a quick connector having an integral release means which does not require additional, separate release components. It would also be desirable to provide a quick connector which permits easy grasping and operation of the release means formed thereon. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a quick connector with integral release means which is easily operable even in tight or limited space applications.